1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a personal communications service. In particular, the invention relates to a communications technique using a personal telecommunication number, such as a UPT (universal personal telecommunication) number, etc., which is allocated to an individual rather than an apparatus, for instance, a technique of forwarding a call to a communications apparatus that an individual is using at that time.
The invention also relates to a communications apparatus with a card in a communications system in which a user uses a service by accessing a center apparatus that is connected to a communications network, and in which user authentication is performed by collation of an identification number and center authentication for judging of permission of a service access right is performed by signal exchange between the communications apparatus and the center apparatus.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A conventional example of a personal communications service is a call transfer service in which a call directed to a certain communications apparatus is forwarded to another, pre-registered communication apparatus. FIG. 36 shows a conventional communications system which performs a call transfer service by means of a communications service of an exchange.
The conventional communications system of FIG. 36 has a communications apparatus 200 (only one apparatus is shown in FIG. 36) for using a call transfer service and an exchange 400 for providing the call transfer service. The communications apparatus 200 and the exchange 400 are to be connected to each other via a communications network 3. The communication apparatus is equipped with a calling section 202 for allowing a user to conduct a call, a dialing section 203 for enabling dial input, a control section 204 for performing control at the time of calling, ringing, or dial input, and a line interface section 205 that is to be connected to the communications network 3. The exchange 400 is equipped with a transfer mode storing section 401 for storing a registration/cancel mode of a call transfer service in response to a manipulation of the communications apparatus 200, a transfer destination storing section 402 for storing a telephone number of a transfer destination in response to a manipulation of the communications apparatus 200, a line interface 403 that is to be connected to the communications network 3, and control section 404 that forwards a call directed to the communications apparatus 200 to the transfer destination having the telephone number that is stored in the transfer destination storing section 402, and allows a call to be processed ordinarily when the call transfer service is canceled.
When a service user (hereinafter referred to as "user") at the communications apparatus 200 wants to use a call transfer service, it is necessary for him to register a telephone number of his intended transfer destination in the exchange 400 by a dial manipulation. To this end, the user inputs a transfer destination setting special number plus a transfer destination telephone number by using the dialing section 203, to thereby register the telephone number in the transfer destination storing section 402 of the exchange 400 via the control section 204 and the line interface section 205. A similar operation is performed in changing the transfer destination telephone number. Then, to start the call transfer service, the user inputs a call transfer service start special number by using the dialing section 203, to thereby register, in the transfer mode storing section 401 of the exchange 400, information indicating that the call transfer service is currently available via the control section 204 and the line interface section 205. The call transfer service is canceled in a similar manner: the user inputs a call transfer service cancel special number. With the above settings, when there occurs a call from, for instance, a caller apparatus 31 to the communications apparatus 200, the control section 404 of the exchange 400 reads the current status (the call transfer service is available/canceled) of the communications apparatus 200 from the transfer mode storing section 401. If the call transfer service is available, the control section 404 reads the transfer destination telephone number from the transfer destination storing section 402, and forwards the call to the transfer destination via the line interface section 403. If the call transfer service is canceled, the control section 404 causes the call to be processed ordinarily.
However, the call transfer service of the conventional system requires cumbersome manipulations, because dial input needs to be performed on each occasion of registering or changing a transfer destination telephone number, or registering or canceling a call transfer service. Further, since manipulations of registering/changing a transfer destination telephone number and starting/canceling a call transfer service can be performed only at a transfer origination communications apparatus, a user cannot recognize a call that occurs while he is moving toward a transfer destination after he has effected transfer registration, in which case a caller is obliged to hear ringing tones for a long time if the transfer destination is absent. Since the caller does not know that the user is moving, he is obliged to spend an unduly long ringing time. When a person at the transfer destination other than the user responds, he will inform the caller of absence of the user. In this case, even if that person writes a message on a sheet, for instance, the information intended by the caller may not be supplied to the user due to missing of the message sheet, an incorrect message content, or the like. Therefore, the caller cannot know whether his intended information has been correctly supplied to the user.
Further, the caller hears busy tones when the transfer destination telephone is used by the user or some other person, when the transfer destination communications apparatus is located out of a service area (depending on the type of communications apparatus), or when the battery of the transfer destination communications apparatus has been used up or the power of the transfer destination communications apparatus is in an off state. Further, when the user fails to cancel a call transfer service, ranging continues to be forwarded to the transfer destination communications apparatus. In addition, the user cannot recognize a call when the user is moving toward the transfer destination, the user is absent at the transfer destination, or the transfer destination communications apparatus is incapable of communication because it is busy, it is located out of a service area, its battery is used up, or its power is in an off state. This may cause a trouble with the user.